Under-arm pad



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

O. M. SOUTHWORTH.

UNDER ARM PAD.-

No. 397,570. Patented Feb. 12, I889.

(No Model.) I 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

G. M. SOUTHWORTH.

UNDER ARM PAD.

' Patented Feb. 12, 1889.

llwrrnn Stern's Parent @rrrca (LARA M. SOU'llUVORTH, OF BRIDGEPORT, CONNECTICUT.

UNDER-ARM PAD.

SFECIFICA'IION forming part of Letters Patent No. 397,570, datecl February 12, 1889.

Application filed November 10, 1888. Serial No. 290,440. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, CLARA M. SoU'rHwon'rH, a citizen of the United States, residing at Bridgeport,in the county of Fairficld and State of Connecticut, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Under-Arm Pads; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention has for its object to produce a pad to be worn either over or under the corset, but preferably over it, which. shall coinpensate for lack of fullness of the figure under the arms, at the edges of the shoulderblades, and also between the shoulder and the bust, thereby giving a greater apparent taper to the waist, covering the shoulder-blades, and also preventing the dress from wrinkling under the arms and between the shoulder and the bust, this being the most difficult portion of the figure to fit, especially in persons of slender figure.

My improved pad is in no sense a bosompad, but is equally adapted to persons having a naturalbust or to those using artificial busts. It is furthermore adapted for use with either light or heavy dresses, but will be found especially valuable to improve the figure for the wearing of evening or full dresses, a sin gle pad onlybeing required to wear with any number of dresses, as it is not attached in any way to the dress.

In the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, Figure l is an elevation of a pad complete; Fig. 2, a section of a single pad; Fig. 3, a view of a single pad spread out in plan; and Fig. i is a diagram of the three parts of which each ply of the pads is formed.

Each pad consists of an inner and outer ply, which I denote, respectively, by l and 2. Each ply is made to consist of three pieces-to wit,

an under-arm piece, (denoted by 3,) a front piece, (denoted by and a back piece, (denoted by 5.) It will of course be understood that the outline of the outer sides of parts 4: and 5 will be varied considerably in practice to adapt the pads to different styles of figures. The inner sideedges of parts 4- and 5 are concave curves, as indicated at at and 5, and the plies.

outer side edges of parts 3 are convex curves, as indicated at 3. The exact lines of these curves are not of the essenceof inyinvention, as it is obvious that they will require to be greatly varied in practice. The parts of each ply are joined together by three seams, parts 3 and 5 being joined by a seam, 6, parts 3 and 4 by a seam, 7, and parts 4E and 5 by a seam, 8that is to say, after stitching parts 4 and 5 to part 3 the upper ends of parts t and 5 are stitched together, thereby forming the strap which passes over the shoulder in use. Byinereasin g the curvature at the points denoted. by 3 and 5*, I increase the fullness at the back of the padthat is, at the portion which covers the shoulder-bladeand fill in the depression that frequently exists at the edges of the shoulder-blade. By decreasing the curvature at these points I of course give less fullness or thickness at this portion of the pad. By increasing the curvature at the points denoted by 3 and it, I give greater fullness at the portion of the completed pad that fills the depression that frequently ex ists between the shoulder and the bust. By decreasing the curvature at this point I of course decrease the fullness of the completed pad at this point.

9 (see Fig. 2) denotes the filling between the For this purpose I generally use either cotton-batting or hair, or both. here considerable fullness is required, I use sheet cotton or wadding, tapering it down toward the lower edge of the pad, as shown, and at the upper portion, at the center within the layers of cotton, I place a small quantity of curled hair, this being a light and elastic filling. In practice the different layers of wadding, if more than one is used, are cut from different patterns, so as to give the required fullness at any portion of the figure.

1O denotes a shield of suitable material impervious to perspiration, which I preferably place upon the inner and outer sides just under the arm.

The dotted line in Fig. 1 denotes the height of an ordinary medium corset at both front and back. It will be noticed that the back pieces are cut so as to extend inward toward each other, as at 15, said pieces being joined together by a lacing, 11, which permits ad justment at the back to suit the peculiarities of the figure and wholly covers the line of the corset, so that it is impossible for the corset'to show through the dress when the pad is worn over the corset.

12 denotes a belt, which may or may not be worn with the pad, and 13 tie-straps across the front, preferably below the bust.

Having thus described my invention, I claim An under-arm pad formed of two plies, each consisting of front'and back pieces, 4 and 5, concave on their inner side edges, a central or under-arm piece, 3, convex on its outer side edges, and suitable filling between the said plies, said front and back pieces li eing j oined to the under-arm piece by scams 6 and 7 and to each other by a seam, 8, and the said back piece having a rear or inward extension, 15, for a connection with a similar extension of a companionpad, whereby is secured a pad which is adapted to give the desired fullness at the edge of the shoulder-blade and between the bust and shoulder, and to be connected with a companion pad, substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I aliix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

CLARA H. SOUTIDVORTH.

\Vitnesses:

A. M. WOOs'rER, F. W. SoU'rHWoR'rn. 

